Fence-loom



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet i D. E. MERRIGK & G. Q. ADAMS.

FENCE LOOM.

'Ratented'JamQ, 1883.

{ BY I INVBNTOR 1 6 AAM ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS. Fholo-Lllhogmphrr. Wzlshilxgln, D. c

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. E. MERRIOK & G. Q. ADAMS.

A FENCE LOOM.

Patented Jan. 9 1883.

swmw N MN wwmk M N in WITNESSES INVENTOR MW m ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet D. E. MERRICK & G. Q. ADAMS.

FENCE LOOM.

Patent-ed Jan.9, 1883.

WITNESSES MM INVENTOR mw w BY m ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 D. E. MERRIOK 80 G. Q. ADAMS.

FENGE LOOM.

Patented Jan.9, 1883.

lil'

. INVENTOR g 3 am is a broken side elevation of the machine; and

- shaft E on the opposite side of the machine,

UNITED STATES PATENT cam.

DANIEL E. MERRIGK AND GEORGE Q. ADAMS, OF QUTNOY, ILLINOIS.

LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,456,:iated January 9, 1853,

Application filed October 21, 1882. (No model.) 7

To all 'IUILOM, it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL E. MERRICK and GEORGE Q. ADAMS. both of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State oflllinois,have invented a new and Improved Fence-Loom, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be' had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of our invention,parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a sectional side eler'ation of the same, taken on the line a; 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 3 y of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4

Fig. 5 is asectional plan view taken on the line c2: of Fig. 2, the picket-feeding mechanism and table being left out of the figure.'

The object of our invention is to provide a machine for weaving fence-pickets together in continuous lengths with wires which are to be subsequently set up and held byfence-posts for forming the fence. 7

' The machine consists of means for twisting the wires between the pickets, the wires being drawn off from suitable spools attached to the machine, of means for feeding the pickets between the strands of wires, of means for moving the pickets outward just before the wires are twisted in the rear of them, of a windingdrum for receiving the web of pickets, ofmeans for giving the. winding drum intermittent movement, and of means whereby the distance of each intermittent movement of the drum is automatically decreased as the webaccumulates on the drum, of devices for regulating the movements of the difi'erent parts, and in combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

The means for twisting the wires consist of the horizontal shaftA,thehorizontalsegmental rack 13,..secured to the upper end of the vertical shaft O,the horizontal crank or drive wheel I), secured to the upper end of the vertical the series of short horizontal shafts F F, and the corresponding series of short twistingheads, G G. The drive-wheel D is connected to the segmental rack B by the connecting-rod H, and this wheel receives a continuous rotary wheel D is rotated the-rack B will be recipro-.

cated, thus imparting th rough the beveled cog wheel 1,Fig. 3, a rotary reciprocating motion to the shaft A. This rotary reciprocating motion of the shaft A imparts through the sets of ber eled gears cc, Fig. 1, a. like motion to each of the short shafts F F, and through the sets of gears ff, Figs. 1 and 2, a like motion also to each or the twisting-heads G G. The twisting-heads G are each longitudinally perforated with two holes, and they are each formed with the two projections a. a, aiid the perforations in the heads extend through these projections, as shown in Fig. 3, and the wires 1) Z), coming from the spools A A on the rods'B B, pass through the said perforations, as shown in Fig. 2. r

The space between the projections a. a of the twisting-heads is the space into which the pickets B are successively fed between the wires when the machine is in operation. The

pickets are fed or thrown endwise, one byone,

into the said spaces between the projections a. a. from the channel 0, and by means of the lip d, which is secured to the spring-actuated rod D, placed under the said channel, which lip reaches up through the slot (1, made through the bottom and near the outerend of the said channel 0, as shown clearly in 3. The rod D is moved outward against the tension of its spring E by the hooked pushrods g g, Fig. 1, pivoted to the ends of the walking-beam F. This walking-beam is journaled in the bracket f, Fig. 3, and is oscillated so as to bring the hooks of the rods y alternately in contact with the flange g, that is secured on the rod from the vertical shaft 0, through the medium of the cranks h h, Flg. 1, that are attached respectively to the said shaft and walking-beam, and. the rod h, which connects the said cranks. The rods 9 g are held in proper position for engagement with the flange g by the springs M, Fig. 1, and they just before they reach the limit of their outward movement.

To prevent more than one picket entering the channel 0 at a time from the inclined ta ble K, on which they are placed by hand, the machine is provided with the intermittentlyrevolving bradded roller K, which is journaled near and a little above the channel 0, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thisroller derives its intermittent rotary motion from the shaft L, Figs. 3 and 4, which is revolved from the vertical shaft E by the beveled cog-wheels Z Z, (shown in Fig. 3,) through the medium of the cam I, placed on the shaft L, pawl-lever 7x pawl k, and ratchet It, and this roller is so timed in its movement that it causes a picket to be moved from the table back into the channel j ust after the precedingone has been forced or thrown forward by the spring-actuated rod 1). After the pickets have been thrown by the rod D into the spaces between the arms or projections a a of the twisting-heads, between the strands of wires, they are successively moved out of these spaces and held against the previous twist in the wires by the dogs m min this instance twelve in number, two for each twisting-head-which are pivoted upon the sliding plates 41 12, Figs. 1 and 2,

which move on the slotted plate M, secured in the frame of the maehinein front of and a little below the twisting-heads, as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In this instance thedogs are reciprocated in the slots at in the plate M in sets of six-that is, while every other dog is being moved forward the other six are being moved backward, and the movement of the (logs is derived from the before mentioned shaft L through the cams N N, Figs.2, 3, secured on the shaft, the slidingcam-yokes N N, the sets of centrally-pivoted rocking levers O O and O 0, Figs. 2 and 3, pivoted respectively on the rods 1 l and the three sets ofconnecting-rods 0 0,1112, andq q. (Shown clearly in Fig 2.) The alternate movement of the dogs is obtained by securing the series of cams N N alternately on opposite sides of the shaft L, as shown in Fig. 3, and the distance of travel of the dogs may be increased or di lninislied to suit the width of the pickets by moving upward or downward the sleeves Q Q, Fig. 2, placed adjustably on the upper ends of the rocking levers O O, to which sleeves the connecting-rods p p are attached, as will be clearly understood from Fig. 2.

R is the winding-drum, journaled in the rear end of the machine. It is given an intermittent rotary motion for winding up the web of pickets by means of the clutches S S, Figs. 2 and 5, acting on the rims T T of the drum. The clutches are attached to and operated by the rods S S, which receive the necessary longitudinal reciprocation from the shaft L through the two cams U U secured thereon, sliding cam-yokes U U, rocking levers V V, which are centrally pivoted on the rod Q,and the rods V V, which connect the lower ends of the said rocking levers to the cam-yokes, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The drum is held from backward movement, when .the clutches S S are drawn back by the rods S S, by the clutches \V, applied to the rims T T, as shown in Fig.2. The shaft L receives motion from the shaft L through the short shaft and sets of beveled gears s s and ss, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5.

When the machine is in operation, as the diameter of the roll of fencing on the drum 11 increases it is evident that the distance of travel of the drum at each intermittent movement must be gradually decreased, so that the peripheral movement of the roll will be uniform, that thedistances between the pickets may be equal. To accomplish this automatically, the rods S S are attached to the upper ends of the rocking levers V V by means of the sleeves Y Y, Figs. 2 and 5, which are adapted to slide on the levers for varying the distance of longitudinal movement of the said rods S S; and in operation these sleeves are graduallydrawn down on the rocking levers V V by means of the equalizinglevers Y Y, which are connected at their forward ends to the said sleeves Y Y by the counecting-rodstt, and which are fulcrurned on the studs t t at the sides of the machine, and reach back and have rollers at their rear ends running upon the roll of fencing on the drum, so that as the fencing accumulates on the drum the rear ends of the equalizing-bars Y Y will be gradually raised and their forward ends correspondingly lowered, thus drawing down gradually the sleeves Y Y on the rocking levers V V, decreasing the distance of longitudinal movement of the rods S S, and thus (it-creasingaccordingly the rapidity of the revolution of the drum.

The rod it, on which the whirling-drum revolves, is removable, and the flanges r r are placed on the sleeve B, through which the rod It passes. This sleeve is composed offour tapering pieces, r r, Fig. 5, of wood, which are held inplace in the central passages of the flanges r r by the insertion of the rod B. When the roll of fencing on the drum has reached sufficient size it may be taken out of the machine and left in its rolled state by removing the rod R. The roll being out of the machine, the tapering pieces 0" r are left free to be removed from the center of the roll and placed, together. with the flanges r 0', back in the machine.

Near to and a little above the drum R is placed in the machine the roller T, Figs. 2 and 5, over which the web of fencing as it is formed passes to the drum.

S, Figs. 2 and 5, is a cross-bar placed in the machine in front of the shaft A, on which are secured the tension-plates c a, under which the wires 1) I) pass on their way from the spools to the twisting-heads. These tensionplates may be caused to exert a greater or less tension on the wires, as required, by turning the thumb-screw Q7 4), placed on screwrods that pass up through the centers of the tension-plates.

In front of the tension-bar S is placed the roller U, over which the wires pass from the spools A A to the tension-plates.

To prevent the pickets as they are thrown into the machine by the spring-actuated rods D from striking too hard against the frame of the machine, we provide the frame with the spring C. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

By adjusting the block 0 of the connectingrod H in the slot cof the crank or drive wheel D it will be understood that the travel of the segmental rack B may be increased or diminished for giving the twisting-heads two,three, four, or more turns, according to the number of twists it is desired to make in the wire be tween each two pickets, and by adjusting the sleeves Q on the rocking levers 0 the distance of movement of the dogs m may be regulated accordingly and according tothe width of the pickets. The dogs m are held from turning on their pivots when they are brought.

against the pickets for moving them outward from between the projections a a of the twisting-heads by means of the stops 1' i, Fig. 2; but 011 their reverse movement they are free to tip, so that they will pass under and in front of the following picket. These stops 1' also serve as Weights to bring the dogs to an upright position after having passed under the picket on their return movement, as will be clearly understood from Fig. 2.

Instead of weaving the pickets together with wire. small tarred ropes or cords may be used and notdepart from the spiritof our invention. The operation of the machine will be easily understood from theforegoingdescription. The pickets are fed into the channel G by the roller K, are thrown between the projections a of the twistingheads Gby the spring-actuated rod 1), and are then moved forward against the twist of the wires 1) by the dogs m. The twisting-heads are then revolved by the rack B, and v the intermediatejf'gearingjo give the desired twist to the wires. The woven fence is then wound upon the drum lt and another picket thrown beween the wires, &c., the twistingheadsrevolved in the opposite direction, and the whole operation repeated, the various movements being all properly timed in relation to each other.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isj l. The segmental rack B and means for oscillating the same, the cog-wheel d, the shaft A, the beveled gearse e, and the short shafts F, provided with the gear-wheels f, in combination with the longitudinally-perforated twisting-heads G, provided with gear-wheels f at one end and with the projection a at the other end, whereby pairs of wires may pass longitudinally through each one of a series of twisting-heads and be twisted thereby without winding around the shaft thereof, as specified.

2. The twisting-heads G,provi ded with gearwheels f, the short shafts F, provided with gear-wheelsfand c, the shaft A, provided with a series of beveled gears, c, and the beveled )inion d and the eared se ment B in combination with the connecting-rod H, adjustably secured tothc arm of the wheel or crank D by means of the pin 0 "and block securable along the slot 0, substantially as specified.

3. The combinatiomwith the series of twisting-heads G and series of reciprocating dogs m, ot'the pocket-channel Gand spring-actuated rod D for throwing the pickets between the strands of wire, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the channel 0 and means, substantially as described, for throwing the pickets between the wires, of the abutting spring O, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with the slotted channel 0, table K, and spring-actuated rod D, of the bradded roller K, adapted to have intermittent rotary motion for moving the pickets one by one from the table into the channel 0, as set forth. I

6. The combination, with the channel G, spring-actuated rod D, roller K, and table K, of the shaft L, cam Z, pawl-lever lc, pawl k, and ratchet secured to one end of the roller K for revolving the same intermittently, as set forth.

7. TherodD,havingtheprojection d,spriug E, and collar 9, in combination with the slot-- ted channel 0, hooked push-rodsgg, walkingbeam F, levers l1. ht, connecting-rod h,s1,)rings it, and stationary stops 2" i, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

S. The shalt L, provided with the series of cams N, in combination with the sliding yokes N, rocking levers O O, sliding plates n, dogs m, and connecting-rods '01) q, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

9. The rocking levers 0, having the movable sleeves Q, in combination with the rocking lovers 0, plates 11, dogs m, and connecting rods 0 1), whereby the distance of travel of the dogs may be regulated, as set forth.

11). The combination, with the sliding plates n,of the dogs at, pivoted thereto and provided with the stops n for holding and bringing the dogs to upright position, as and for the purposes set forth.

DANIEL E. MERRTOK. GEORGE Q. ADAMS,..

Witnesses:

J. W. BoNNEv, W. E. McMILLEN.

IIO

IIS 

